Lil Durk • "Ride 4 Me"

The record of Lil Durk and his deadly Detroit damsel has been spun ad nauseum, but are we forgetting about another new figure of importance in Durk's life? To any Lil Durk fan out there, his linking up with the honorable C-Sick has been a true blessing. First popping up to help on Signed To The Streets 2 with the track "Rumors", the French Chicagoan has been critical for Durk's second wind and plays a prominent role in the latter half of the rapper's discography. Those who listen to 300's golden child know that Durk goes crazy with output, toying with a lot of different sounds in the process. It seems like he was looking for a new one that works and found it in C-Sick's beats, dominating Durk's 300 Days 300 Nights and offering up some of the project's peak moments.

C-Sick's tracks are ominous, almost medieval sounding, and not afraid of sincerity. Yes, this one features a strange sample from female Christian rock band BarlowGirl (RIP my YouTube recommended section), warped into desperation and scattered over hi-hats. At his best, C-Sick uses negative space in his beats expertly, creating a trademark sound that is soulful yet detached and cold. Lyrically it's familiar territory for Durk; anger, pain and a whole lot of world weariness in such a young dude. But while some say that Durk has gone commercial or that the creative well is drying, that secret ingredient of honesty can always salvage a track. Durk is gripping and can carry even a tired beat, let alone when with support from the maestro C-Sick.

As a bonus, we've also got a new track with Lil Durk and Trae the Truth. This loosie demonstrates how the Chicago/Houston connection is surprisingly potent (as we've noticed with now-frequent collaborators Fredo Santana and Maxo Kream), and one we need to see more often.